Sabaku no Sakura
by Akiyama Yumi
Summary: AU. Gaara is the prince of Suna, and is to soon be married to Ino, the princess of a neighboring country. Something is missing... Will he find it in a mysterious young woman? GaaSaku...Please R&R! OOC involved! Chapter 9 now up!
1. Beginning

Hello there! Michiru here!!!! Decided to write another GaaSaku Fic while I think of Ideas for Way of the Vacation!

So, this story is a bit… different. You'll find several of the same characters from Naruto in here, but the don't hold the same status as they do in the original, nor are there the same weird family ties. For example, Hinata is a servant, while Hiashi is one of Gaara's advisors. Gaara is the Prince of Suna, and is to be married to Ino, who is the princess of a neighboring country. Yeah, things are a bit switched around in here! I hope it's suitable, though!

Anywho, Here you are! Please enjoy the following presentation of _Sabaku no Sakura_!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Naruto! If I did, I would… Well, I'd own it!

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Gaara looked up at the evening sky, his jade eyes scanning the moon. Things were quiet. Very quiet. Any other night he would have liked that, but now…. Now he didn't know… He felt off. Wrong. There was no explaining it really. He was to be married. He should be happy, or at least, as happy as he could be. He sighed. There was nothing wrong with the marriage, even though it was arranged. The one he was to be married to was beautiful; the princess of the second largest country on the continent, and even though he had only met her twice, he could see that she was a good person. Gaara couldn't understand why he felt so off.

"Sir…?" Came a timid voice behind him.

Gaara turned to see a servant of the palace bowing. He shook his head.

"Rise, please…. What is it?" He asked, his voice coming out in a deep tone.

The servant stood, her eyes still lowered.

"Lord Hiashi would like to speak with you…" she said quietly.

Gaara nodded.

"Thank you, Hinata…"

Gaara tried to use the servant's names as he could. They were people too. Hinata bowed as walked away. Gaara sighed for the second time that evening, but this time out of boredom. Another advisory meeting, and one he wasn't looking forward to. It was almost defiantly over the recent drop in resources going into Suna. With a final glance out the window, Gaara walked out of his room.

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It was about halfway through the meeting, with Gaara beginning to dose off, when the doors of the hall banged open, depositing three people. In all actuality, it was two people _dragging_ a struggling third. Gaara sat up straighter as the three approached the table. He could see now that it was two of his guards pulling what looked like a commoner between them.

"Sir!" Said the guard on the left, "We found this woman trying to steal from the palace!"

Gaara looked from the flaxen haired soldier to the struggling woman he was holding. He was a bit awestruck. Despite her disheveled appearance, she was beautiful. Her short pink hair hung around her face, giving her a feral look, and slightly torn cloths wrapped around a lithe, slender frame, but what caught Gaara the most was her eyes. Two bright, fiery emerald eyes glaring up into his. Eyes that did not fear him, nor anything else. Gaara cleared his throat, tearing his eyes away from the woman and returning to the guard.

"What did she take, Uzumaki…?"

Uzumaki lifted the woman's still tightly clenched hand. Something was in it.

"Open your hand!" he commanded.

The woman kicked at him, struggling.

"Let me go!" She growled.

She suddenly let out a cry of pain as Uzumaki twisted her wrist. The item fell out. Gaara stepped forward.

"Uzumaki! It is not your job to punish her! Release her!"

Uzumaki looked at him.

"But Sir! She had-!"

"Enough…" Gaara growled.

Uzumaki let go of the woman's arm and stepped back, his hand wresting on the hilt of the katana at his side. Gaara nodded to the other guard.

"You too, Uchiha… you can let her go…"

The other guard, a man with ebon hair and eyes, dropped her arm and stepped back. The woman looked up at Gaara questioningly, holding the wrist that Uzumaki had twisted in her other hand. Gaara picked up the item that had fallen on the floor, crouching in front of the woman. It was an azure pendant attached to a long silver chain. Examining it, he noticed that silver wire wrapped up around it, joining at the bottom in a spiral. Thin white veins wound through the blue crystal. Gaara's eyes widened slightly. He looked at the woman.

"Who are you…?" he said.

The woman looked at him spitefully.

"That is none of you business, _prince_…" she said with bitter contempt.

Gaara held out the necklace, depositing it into her hand. Hiashi stood.

"Sir, you're going to let this crook get away with thievery?" he demanded.

Gaara stood, glaring daggers at him.

"There was no crime here…" He said, "No one in this palace owns such a rare item…"

He held out his hand to help the woman up. She got up on her own.

"I will take you to the door…" Gaara said, looking back at his guards, telling them to remain behind.

The woman shrugged, clasping the pendant around her neck and hiding it in her clothes. Gaara led the way out of the hall, and the short journey to the door was rather quiet. When they reached the palace gates, Gaara stopped and the woman kept going.

"I hope that we do not meet again under the same circumstances…" he said, "Even being the prince, I don't think that I could stop them from throwing you in prison…"

The woman stopped, subconsciously grasping the pendant under her shirt. She looked slightly over her shoulder.

"I need no one's help…"

With that she, leapt into the air, onto a neighboring rooftop, and was gone into the darkness. Gaara watched her leave, overcome with an odd sense of loss. He then slowly walked back into the palace.


	2. Planning and A Debt

Kie kie, part two! I'm sorry for the long delay but I've had a SERIOUS case of writers block…. (So also my apologies if this chappie isn't as good as it could be!) So, now with my Minute Maid Strawberry Passion and Lacuna Coil, onward, my fellow writers!

Oh, yeah…. I don't own Naruto….

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It was nearly a week later now, and Gaara was waiting at the palace gates for an entourage to arrive. _Her_ entourage, in fact. Ino would be arriving soon, and soon after plans for there wedding would start. Gaara let out a subconscious sigh, thinking about the mysterious woman. He couldn't get her out of his head.

"Is something the matter, my lord?"

Gaara turned his gaze to see Anko standing there, dressed in her most extravagant priestess robes. She looked up at him with her intelligent brown eyes. Gaara shivered.

"It's nothing…"

Anko raised an eyebrow in skepticism, but did not voice whatever was going through her head.

"Whatever you say," she replied.

It was only a minute later when the trumpets at the city gates sounded, and Ino came forth with her entourage. She smiled at him as she and her two closest guards walked up the steps to him. Gaara smiled and nodded.

"Lady Ino…" He muttered.

Ino smiled again, bowing her head slightly.

"My lord Gaara…" She said in a soft, crisp voice.

Hiashi stepped forward next to Gaara.

"Lady Ino, " He said and smiled, kissing her hand, "At last we can make arrangements!"

Gaara and Ino both smiled uneasily, but both nodded.

"Shall we?" Hiashi said, and without waiting for an answer, ushered both of them into the Palace.

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Gaara fell back on his bed with a long sigh, stressed at the long day of planning. He wished he could at least have a little say on what was going on. Everything was pretty much being planned by Hiashi and the other advisors, only a few questions being directed at Gaara and Ino throughout the day, but that didn't stop the constant dragging around that had been done to Gaara. Another sigh escaped Gaara as he sat up.

"So the system screws even you, Prince of Suna….." came an unfamiliar voice.

Gaara jumped, grabbing his blade. Swinging it in the direction of the voice, it was met by a clang and a flare of sparks. It was the pink haired woman, crouched on his windowsill and holding a dagger. Gaara relented when he saw her face. The woman twirled the dagger, sheathing it in a small holster at her hip.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to kill you…." She said.

Gaara sheathed the sword, sitting it back on his bed. He sat captivated for a moment, and then shook his head.

"Why are you here?"

The woman shrugged, propping her back against the frame of the window.

"To thank you for your… help…." She said, glancing at him, "And to admire how much even the Prince is pushed around by the government…."

Gaara rubbed the back of his head, sighing.

"Everything's fine…. Hiashi has everything 'under control'…" He said, "Arranged or not, this is for the good of Suna…"

He suddenly looked up.

"Why am I telling you this?"

The woman grinned.

"Because I'm a complete stranger…." She said, "As it is, I suppose I am in your debt…"

Gaara shook his head.

"No, I refuse…"

The woman cocked her head to the side.

"That doesn't change the fact that I owe you…."

She looked up suddenly, a smile curling her lips slightly.

"It seems that your betrothed is here… I bid you farewell…. Until next time…"

Without another sound, she flipped backwards out the window, and was gone. Not a moment later, there was a small knock on the door. Gaara quickly stood.

"Come in," he said.

The door opened, revealing a nervous looking Ino. She was no longer wearing the long, extravagant dress from her arrival, but rather a simpler one, her hair down and unadorned. A timid smiled crept on her lips.

"Good evening," she said, scanning the room, "Um, was someone here? I thought that I heard voices…"

Gaara quickly shook his head. He smiled nervously.

"Is there something you need?"

Ino stepped forward, taking Gaara's hands into her small, delicate ones.

"My lord… Gaara…" she started, "Do you feel at all… uneasy about this whole thing?"

She looked earnestly into his eyes. Gaara cleared his throat.

"I don't know… I feel weird, but… But it's probably just normal pre-wedding feeling I guess… Why?"

Ino lowered her eyes.

"I guess you're right… I just feel weird…"

She shook her head and smiled.

"Let's make this unforgettable, ok?"

She stood up on her tiptoes, kissing his softly on the cheek.

"Goodnight…"

With that, she left the room, only the scent of her perfume lingering. Gaara stood there, the weight of the upcoming events beginning to weigh in on him.


	3. Past or Premontion?

Well, The last chapter got nice responses, so Thank you to all who have reviewed! I really appreciate it! Anywho, so, on the third Chapter! I hope that this one is as well received as the last two! Hehehehe!

Disclaimer: Nope, not my Naruto….

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That night, dreams besieged Gaara. He tossed in his sleep.

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_He was standing in the middle of a clearing, looking up at the moon veiled in the clouds. It was fitting that they were like that. He felt that everything was obscure to him. Suddenly, there was a rustling behind him, and he turned to see a cloaked person walking to him. Upon their arrival, Gaara could see that the person was indeed female. He smiled and without a word, embraced her. The woman wrapped her arms around him in response, their body heat keeping each other warm against the nights chill. Gaara held the woman out at arms length, looking her over. Her face remained veiled by the hood of her cloak. Gaara's eyes fell a little lower to the pendant that sat on her chest, handing from a silver chain. He touched it lightly with his fingers .It was an azure pendant with silver wire wrapping up around it, joining at the bottom in a spiral. Thin white veins wound through the blue crystal. He had given it to her when they had first begun their secrecy a year before. He smiled, happy that she still wore it. Silently, the woman's hands wrapped around his hand, as well as the pendant. A smile formed on her lips._

'_My love…'_

_Gaara looked at her, then moved his free hand up to her cheek, not removing the hood quite yet. His lips had brushed hers when there was a yell, followed by the crashing of armored boots through the forest from the direction the woman had come. Gaara immediately put himself between the noise and the woman. As he did this, several armed guard's burst from the undergrowth. Some were wearing deep azure, while others wore blood red. A soldier walked forward, adorned in a cape and a more extravagant uniform._

'_By the decree of the royal King of Sunagakure, you shall be put to death for treason against the Empire!'_

_Gaara drew to his full height. He looked back to the woman, a sad and tender look in his eyes. _

'_Flee…'He said._

_The woman took a few steps back, and Gaara charged forward._

_-------------- _

Gaara sat up with a yell, his breath tearing in and out of him like he had been running. Shakily, he ran his hand across his brow. He lowered his feet to the floor. _What was that?_ He asked himself. Who was the woman? Where was he? Was this to come, or was it in the past? Did it even exist? So many questions ran through his head. There were sudden footsteps outside his door, and two guards burst in through his door, their swords drawn.

"My lord! Is everything ok?" asked the female with red eyes and black hair.

Gaara nodded.

"Nara… Yuhi…." He drew a breath, "Go back to your posts, everything is fine…"

The two soldiers nodded, stayed their blades, and left the room. Gaara fell back onto his pillow with a sigh. _It was just a dream…_He told himself, _just a dream…_Though, part of him was still unconvinced as he drifted back off into a dreamless sleep.


	4. Sakura

Aw! Thank you SOOOOO much for ALL of your support! It really helps! And thank you also for trying to guess whom the mystery-woman is! Anywho, pardon the shortness of the last chappie! I kind of ran out of time and it seemed like a good place to end, so yep… So, On I go….

Disclaimer: Don't own!

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It was afternoon the next day when Gaara was finally able to get some free time and sneak out of the Palace for some fresh air. With a sigh, he sat down next to a small, clear pool in a hiding place that he had found when he was a kid. It relaxed him, and allowed him to clear his mind. _This is it…_ He thought to himself, _in a few days I'll…_ he didn't finish the thought. It still seemed distant at the moment. Leaning back, he looked into the sky. He still felt uneasy about the whole thing.

"What am I going to do…?" He muttered, closing his eyes.

"Don't get married, if it bothers you that much…"

Gaara jumped up, smacking his head on a branch in the process. The woman with pink hair jumped down in front of him. She had a smirk on her face. Gaara sat back down, a slight glare in his eyes.

"How did you get here?" He asked, still rubbing his forehead.

The woman leaned up against the tree.

"You're not the only one who knows of this place," she said.

Gaara looked up at her, watching for a few seconds as the light reflecting off the water danced on her face. He smiled to himself inwardly. Despite her hard exterior, she was beautiful. The woman looked down at him, and he quickly averted his gaze. A blush crept into his cheeks. The woman smiled somewhat softly.

"What?"

"Nothing…"

"You were _ogling_…"

Gaara snapped his sight back up to her.

"I was not!"

The woman smiled, shrugging.

"Whatever you say, Prince…" she said a bit sarcastically, "So have you decided what you want in return yet?"

Gaara looked at the ground.

"I told you that I didn't want anything …"

Then something hit Gaara. He looked up at her. The woman looked back. She blushed slightly this time.

"What?" she asked quickly.

"Your name… In payment of the debt I would like to learn your name…"

The blushed flared up even further in her face.

"My name? Why would you-?" she stammered.

Gaara smiled at her and stood. Her grabbed her arms slightly. Surprisingly, the woman did not try to wrench away. She only stood there, looking into his eyes. They stood like that for a while, gazing into each other's eyes, both feeling something as if it was from a memory. The woman relented.

"It's Sakura…" She said softly.

Gaara smiled. _Sakura…_he thought to himself, _a name to match her beauty…_ He looked at her.

"You are no longer in my debt, Sakura…"

Sakura shuddered slightly as Gaara said her name. It sounded good coming from his mouth.

"So be it…" She said, pulling away from him.

Gaara nodded.

"And, if may request it… Call me Gaara… I hate being called "Prince" or "My Lord" all of the time…" he said.

Sakura looked shocked, but then nodded.

"Gaara…" She said simply.

Gaara nodded and smiled.

"We shall me again, I hope?" he asked.

Sakura smiled a true smile that made Gaara's heart flutter. She nodded.

"Hai…"

With that, she walked away, disappearing into the darkness that began to blanket the forest.

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It was a while later when Gaara returned to the palace; his heart lighter than it had been for the longest time. He smiled to himself, forgetting everything that had taken place over the last week. At least, he forgot until Ino herself came walking up to him. She smiled at him. Gaara snapped out of his trance, and bowed slightly, a sudden feeling of sorrow coming over him.

_He was engaged… He was engaged and he was in love with someone else…_


	5. Uneasy Feelings

Yeah! Finally, I have time to write! It's been too long, and I'm sorry for the long delay… I've been looking for work, and for college, and just a number of other busy stuff! Anywho, enough with my issues…

Thank you to all who reviewed! It's encouraging! Hehe, and now onward, my friends!

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Gaara stiffly hugged Ino.

"Hello, dear…" he said quietly.

Ino pulled away from him, looking confused. She put a hand on his arm.

"What is it? What's wrong?" She asked sounding concerned.

Gaara put on the best smile he could muster and put his hands on her shoulders.

"It's nothing serious. Just nervous…"

Ino nodded.

"Me too… I know that we should play our parts… but I… Never mind, I've not held my tongue. Forgive me." Ino said and lowered her gaze.

Gaara shook his head.

"Speak, if you wish… I won't judge you for it…"

Ino looked up into his eyes.

"Does this seem odd to you at all? I mean, I know that it will make both of our countries happy, but… something seems… wrong…"

Gaara stood there for a second, letting her words sink into him. Things had seemed off lately, not with his heart, but also with the gut feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong.

"It has seemed as you said…" He said and looked around, "Come, let us go to my chamber and we'll discuss this…"

Gaara led Ino away to his room.

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Two men looked up at another sitting in a chair, both garbed in Place guard uniforms. They bowed.

"Your orders will be fulfilled…" the white haired one said, "My sovereign…"

The man in the chair nodded.

"Go…" He said.

The men bowed lower, then walked away into the night.

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Gaara woke the next day, his head spinning. He was sure what to do. He and Ino talked long the previous night. They had confessed that they didn't love each other, but had agreed to be friends, and play their parts for the good of their countries. It still bugged Gaara, because he loved Sakura. He sat up with a sigh. That was one thing that he had not told Ino about. Jumping out of bed, he threw on his clothes and dashed out of his room. He ran flat into another person, knocking them both over. It was a man with white hair dressed as one of his guards. Gaara stood, extending his hand.

"I'm sorry..." he said hastily.

The man took his hand and hoisted himself up, straightening his helmet.

"No, it's my fault your highness…" he said.

Gaara looked him over.

"Are you new here? I haven't seen you before…"

The man nodded.

"Yes," he bowed, "My name is Kabuto… my friend Itachi and I just joined…"

Gaara nodded.

"I'm sure you'll do well… farewell…" he said.

Kabuto nodded and walked in the direction he had been walking, and Gaara went his way, sneaking out of the Palace.


	6. Moegi

Thank you for the reviews, yet again! Arigato, Arigato!

Kie, so now this where it's gonna start getting interesting…. At least, I do hope so! Yep yep! Stick witha me please!

Disclaimer: No no, don't own!

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Gaara snuck out of the palace again, heading out one of the back roads into the city that surrounded the Palace. He wandered through alleyways, talking to the random passersby, asking about Sakura. When no one really gave him a clear answer eccept for that she usually ran with the orphans, Gaara stopped by a market stand to buy a snack. It was about noon when he reached one of the back alleys near the Senate Building. The sound of children's laughter reached his ears. Curious, Gaara turned the corner to find several children, ranging from 4 to 10 playing in the street. All of them were clothed in ragged clothes and were covered in dirt.

_The orphans…_He thought to himself, slightly distressed at the fact that in his own country, there were homeless, impoverished children.

He walked toward them. One of the children noticed him and looked up. The other children followed her lead. They began to scramble.

"Wait!" Gaara said, "I need to find Sakura!"

Only one child remained, the one that had seen Gaara first. She, as with the other children, wore dirty and torn clothing, and wore her hair up in two pigtails. Dirt was smeared across her small, determined face.

"What do you want with my big Sister?" she asked, clenching her hands into little fists, looking ready to fight if she had to.

Gaara looked stunned at the bravery of the young girl, but smiled in spite of it. He bowed before her.

"Forgive me, She and I are friends… have you seen her?" he said.

The girl looked at him suspiciously, but then extending her hand. Gaara took it and the little girl began to lead him around.

"My name is Moegi…" she said.

Gaara smiled again, in spite of himself.

"Hello Moegi… Where are you taking me?"

"To mine and Sakura's house…" she said simply.

She smiled back at him, her teeth beaming through the dirt and the grime on her face.

"So how long have ya known Sis?" she asked.

Gaara looked at her, recollecting his dream.

"It seems for a while now," he said.

Moegi lead him around a corner and down another alley.

"Sis has been talking about a man… not to me though, I'll hear her in her room sometimes talkin to herself about someone! Maybe it's you!" she giggled.

Gaara blushed slightly. It was only a few minutes later when Moegi released his hand and they stopped. The sight before Gaara was humbling and saddening at the same time. _This_ was Moegi and Sakura's home, a small, rundown shack held together by scrap pieces of wood and other materials leaning up against the outer walls of the city. Moegi beamed up at him.

"Welcome home!" she said, grabbed his hand, and pulled him to the house.

She opened the door with one hand, the doors hinges groaning and creaking with rust and looked around.

"Sis! Sis! A man is here for you!!" she yelled.

When there was no response, Moegi let go of Gaara's hand.

"Just a sec, I'll go look for her…"

With nothing more, she ran to the back room of the house. Gaara stood, looking around. Sadness gripped him. He couldn't believe that people live like this in his city. People lived like this and that they got by. His eye hardened slightly. The next meeting he would make sure that _this_ was addressed. The sound of Moegi's bare feet padding back toward him snapped him out of his thought. She looked up at him, confused.

"She's not here," she said.

Gaara smiled at the child.

"I'll wait here then… Will you tell me about you and Sakura?" he asked.

Moegi smiled and took his hand again, leading him to some cushions on boxes. Gaara sat down and Moegi settled herself, cross-legged, onto one of the cushions on the floor.

"Welllll…." She began, "Sis may seem to be cold and heartless on the outside, but on the inside, she's really nice! She lost her parents just like me…"

Moegi looked down at her feet for a second, but then shook her head and looked up at Gaara again.

"Anyways, she steals for the other kids and I cause we don't have any money or food for ourselves. She tries her best to provide for all of us, but sometimes it's so hard cause she can't get anything, or cause there's just to many of us. It's really nice though when she can get food for us… the pain in our tummies goes away when we have food…" she said softly, then smiled, "And she won't take any food until we've all had some, even if it means that she goes hungry…"

Gaara's eyes widened. He didn't realize that things were so hard. That was why she was in the Palace. It was not because of greed, or because she was some common thief, it was because she needed to feed starving children. His throat tightened and tears shimmered in his eyes. The saddest part of all of this was that Moegi was obviously fairly content even thought she was an orphan and starving most of the time. Gaara lowered his head, feeling guilty that he had all of the luxuries that he did while the children starved.

"Hey, are you ok?" Moegi asked, moving to him.

Gaara looked up and nodded, trying to dry his eyes. Moegi hugged him then, leaning her head into him. She pulled her head back, looking at him.

"It's okay, it's really not bad… Sis has us and we have Sis…" she said in an innocent voice.

It was then when the door creaked open and in stepped Sakura, carrying what looked like a small bag of money.


	7. Tears

Yay! Chapter seven! I never thought that I would write such a successful story! Go me! And go you guys! Thank you for sticking with me this long, and I hope that you stay with me until the end! Yeah toast!

Disclaimer! Nope, nope, not mine Naruto!

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Sakura and Gaara made eye contact, both stunned to see each other. Moegi smiled and pointed to Gaara.

"Lookie, Sis, this man came to visit you!" she piped up.

Sakura blinked, looking like she was still shocked at Gaara sitting there before her. Gaara snapped out of his shock and stood, smiling softly.

"Sakura…" he said simply and inclined his head.

Sakura seemed to snap out of trance slightly. Still looking at Gaara, she addressed Moegi.

"Moegi, dear, why don't you go and play with the other children?" she said softly.

Moegi looked up at Sakura, then to Gaara.

"You be nice to my Sis, ok?" she said and ran out.

Gaara smiled and watched her leave, then turned his attention to Sakura. She was still looking at him in disbelief. Shaking her head, she set the bag of coins onto an upturned crate and sat down.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

Gaara sat down next to her. He hadn't yet really been able to answer the question himself.

"I… I guess that I needed to see you…" he muttered.

Sakura looked at him, confused, but then shook her head.

"Do you realize what you're doing to me?" She asked quietly, "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. It seems that every moment that we don't see each other, I'm thinking about you…"

Gaara looked over at her, slightly stunned. His cheeks reddened slightly. He looked back down at his hands.

"I've felt the same way… I… I know it's wrong to think of another before my wedding, but… I just can't get you out of my head… It's like you're always there with me, you know?" He said.

Sakura looked at him with a small smile.

"Yes…" she cleared her throat, "I see you've met Moegi…"

Gaara quickly nodded.

"She seems to be fiercely loyal to you," Gaara said and then smiled, "She looked like she was ready to fight for you when I met her."

Sakura nodded.

"Yes, we're not related at all, but she still calls me her big sister and is just as loyal. You see, she lost her parents when she was five…" Sakura said, an odd tone creeping into her voice.

Gaara looked at her. Sakura took a shuddering breath.

"She and I are alike in many ways…" she said quietly, "I, also, lost my parents when I was very young…"

Sakura looked up at the ceiling, letting her memories wash over her. A small smile crept on her lips.

"It was a nice time… My parents were both highly successful Senators, and even though that called for a lot of their time, they devoted everything else they had to me and my sister, Shizumi. They tried their hardest to make us happy. In fact, there were several times when we were able to go out of Suna to neighboring countries on vacation…" Sakura said, "They were great people… But I guess that even great people get punished… It was when I was seven and had just gotten home from playing with the other girls. I… I walked through the door and the house was silent, save for a bird on the windowsill."

Sakura lowered her gaze to the floor, her hair falling over her eyes. Gaara set his hand on her now clenched one. He willed her to be comforted, hating to see her in pain.

"I thought at first that my parents were just out again, even though they were usually home at that time…" Sakura shuddered and took a deep breath, continuing, "So, like any child, I wandered around the house, making sure it was empty. It was, until I went to the last room, their bedroom up on the second floor. There… There I found a child's worst fear. As I entered the room, I noticed that my mother was lying on her stomach on the edge of the bed."

"At first I thought that she was sleeping but as I approached, I knew something was wrong. Blood was everywhere on the bed. I ran over to her and took her hand. The cold of her hand surprised me and I dropped it quick, pulling on her slightly. She rolled off of the bed and I saw what had happened to her." Sakura's voice grew heavy with grief, but her eyes remained dry, "her throat had been cut, and she had been stabbed several times in the chest and the back. It looked as thought the murderer stabbed her even as she was trying to flee."

Anger and sadness flared up into Sakura's eyes as she told more of her story.

"I stepped back in the horror of seeing mom like that, only to be encountered with my fathers corpse. He had fared the same as my mother. Whoever did it had also cut his throat and stabbed him, and left him hanging near the door, out of my sight when I had first entered."

Sakura stopped, her breathing labored. She clenched her hand on Gaara's. Gaara looked at her face. A single tear slid down, falling from her chin and onto her lap.

"Sakura…" Gaara muttered and hugged her, holding her close like they would never be able to embrace again.

Sakura embraced him back, finally letting the ghosts of her past flow out of her in the form of tears. After a few minutes of crying, she looked at Gaara, hey eyes still shining. Gaara wiped away one of her tears with his sleeve, a soft smile on his face. His eyes, also teary, showed compassion.

"It's ok to cry every once in a while…" he said.

"Thank you…" she said.

Sakura gave him a sad smile and leaned against his chests, letting her arms rest around him. It was a few minutes later when her breathing became even and soft, telling Gaara that she was asleep. He smiled, and in spite of everything going on in his life, let himself lean back onto the wall behind him, embrace Sakura, and fall asleep himself.

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Gaara woke at dusk with Sakura still in his arms, breathing softly and looking much more peaceful than she ever did when she was awake. He carefully got up, cradling her in his arms and taking her to the back room where her bead lay. He laid her down.

"Farewell, Sakura…" he whispered in her ear, and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

With that, he left the house and made his way back to the Palace, avoiding as many people as he could along the way. It was when he had almost reached the Palace that he felt as if someone was watching him. Turning, he saw nothing. He shook his head.

_Probably paranoia…_he thought to himself, _just what I need…_

He entered the Palace through his hidden route and continued to his room. He once again ran into Kabuto as he rounded a corner.

"We need to stop running into each other like this," he said as he helped Kabuto up.

Kabuto smiled at him wistfully.

"I'm sorry, my Lord…" he said, an odd tone in his voice, "Did you have a pleasant day…?"

Gaara raised his eyebrow.

"Yes, it was fine..."

Kabuto nodded and bowed.

"Very good… I hope you know what you're doing…" he said and walked away, leaving Gaara.

Gaara watched him leave, pondering what he had said, fear creeping into his heart. Had Kabuto been the one watching him? He thought it impossible, but then again, maybe not.


	8. Attack

Woooo…. I'm trying to increase output here and chapter length… who knew that they were so hard to write! Anywho, I'm glad that all of you are reviewing as I add, and keeping up the encouragement. Please keep it up: it helps me write! Arigato.

Sooo… Now we know that Sakura and Gaara have a thing for each other, and that there is a plot in the midst of things. What will happen? Muahaha! I shall not tell; that is for me to know and for you to find out.

Oh, yes, and I've been asked how old Gaara and Sakura are… Here's a rundown! I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner…

**Gaara**- 21

**Sakura**- 20

**Ino**- 20

Disclaimer: No ownage of the Naruto!

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Gaara woke the next morning, groggy. He sat up and looked out his window at the sun rising over the city.

_Two days_… he thought to himself.

His thoughts strayed to Sakura. Although he wanted to see her again, he decided it would be best is he stayed in the Palace for the day. With a sigh he got up and dragged his clothes on, then made his way out towards the courtyard, where preparations were already being made for the wedding. He leaned up against one of the pillars, watching things going on around him.

"Gaara…"

Gaara turned in the direction of the voice. It was Ino. Gaara smiled and embraced her softly.

"Hey…" he said, "What's going on?"

Ino looked up at him with her crystal blue eyes. She took his hand.

"Can we walk?" she said softly.

"Sure…"

When they were back in the castle and sure that there was no one in earshot, they stopped. Ino looked up at him.

"I… think I might be overreacting, but I believe someone has been watching me," she said.

There was silence for a short time, the Gaara said:

"Then I'm not hallucinating… I've felt the same way… It's like everywhere I go, there has been someone following me, but when I turn, no one is there…." He said.

Ino let out a sigh.

"Do you think it has to do with the wedding?"

Gaara shrugged, leaning against the wall.

"Or something with the new guards… I find it strange that two new guards would be enlisted so close to the wedding," he said.

Ino looked at one of the tapestries.

"I don't a lot about your systems here, but it does seem odd…" she turned to him, "I just hope nothing bad happens…"

She bowed.

"I take my leave then…" she said and walked away.

Gaara walked the opposite way, turning a corner and not really thinking about where he as going. Suddenly, his foot caught something and he fell to the floor. He turned to see Anko lying on the floor, face down, her robes torn and blood slowly pooling around her. Gaara crawled quickly to her.

"Anko! Anko!" he shouted, picking her up.

Looking at her stomach, he found the source of the blood. At least three stab wounds riddled her abdomen. Her robe was torn in several places and it looked as though she had also been beaten. Gaara put his fingers on her wrist. A pulse. A weak pulse, but nonetheless a pulse.

"Help!" Gaara called out, "Guards!"

Gaara was getting up when a hand pulled him back down. Anko had him by the sleeve, a feverish, burning look in her eyes.

"Ank-!" he started.

"L-listen! They got… to me! I… I knew to much and I…" a thin line of blood ran from her mouth as she talked, "B-Beware…"

Gaara crouched to her.

"Stay with me!"

Gaara looked up desperately, his heart thudding in his chest.

"Help!"

Anko's eye closed, flickering and she leaned her head back over his arm. The sound of running boots reached Gaara's ears and not much later, a black haired woman and a white haired man ran up. Their eyes widened as the sight of Anko and Gaara reached their eyes.

"M-My lord… What…?" the woman muttered.

Gaara looked up.

"Never mind! Kurenai, Help me with her. Kakashi, get Shizune! She needs help!"

Gaara and the woman, Kurenai, carried Anko to the nearest bedchamber and Kakashi ran off to find Shizune. It was a matter of minutes when Kakashi ran back with Shizune. Shizune's eyes widened as she saw Anko.

"What happened here?" she asked as she rolled up her sleeves.

Gaara shook his head.

"She was attacked by someone…" he said, "I found her like this…"

Shizune began to undo what was left of Anko's robe, removing the top of it. She put a hand over one of the wound on her stomach and put the other up in front of her face, forming a seal with it. Blue energy began to flow from her hand onto Anko's body slowly healing the wound. Kurenai bowed to Gaara, looking at the blood on him.

"Are you hurt, my Lord?" she asked.

Gaara shook his head.

"Listen, I want at least four guards here at all times. Make sure that no one enters here except for Shizune or myself…" Gaara commanded.

Kurenai nodded, and Gaara left, a sense of foreboding building within him as he walked away.


	9. Cherished

Wow! I feel so loved! Thank you for all the reviews! It's nice to see my inbox fill up with comments and speculations! I'm glad that the story has got you thinking! I hope to continue.

Hmm… So it's interesting now! There seems to be a plot against Gaara and Ino! Kuahahahaha! What will happen? Will Gaara and Sakura get together? Will something else happen? Who's in the castle causing trouble? Hehe, read on, my friends, read on!

Disclaimer: I own the story but not the awesomeness that is Naruto…

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Gaara shuddered as he peeled off his bloodstained clothes down to his shorts and sank into the hot spring to clean off. The thought of someone dangerous in the Palace unnerved him. Why would anyone want to attack Anko? She was a priestess, someone who helped others, not hurt them. Gaara hugged his knees. Why. The word reverberated through his head. He sat there, soaking for some time when he heard a footstep. He turned quickly toward the noise.

No one was there.

His heart fluttering slightly, he turned back to his original position, waiting. He heard the footsteps again. When he was sure that whoever was approaching him was behind him, he reached up and flung the person down in front of him straight into the water. He grabbed their shoulder and raised his fist. Suddenly, he dropped it, scooting back a little. It was Sakura.

"I'm so sorry…" he said, "I thought…"

Sakura smiled a bit uneasily, shaking her head.

"It's understandable," she said, "I heard the commotion in the Palace earlier… Is she ok?"

Gaara shrugged, leaning back against the rim of the pool.

"I have the best healers and guards with her… Hopefully there won't be a reoccurrence." He said, looking into the water, anger showing in his eyes.

Sakura nodded.

"Yes…" she said.

She allowed herself to lean back and float for a couple minutes, a slight smile on her face. Gaara watched her, longing building within him as it always did when he was with her.

"Have… you dreamed at all?" Gaara asked.

Sakura righted herself, cocking her head to the side slightly.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Gaara scratched his head, sighing.

"Well… a while ago… I had a dream. I'm not sure what it was, but… well…" he started.

"Speak, Gaara… It's not like you to not…" Sakura said, swimming closer to him.

Gaara looked at her, catching her eyes with his.

"You and I were in it… it was like something out of the past, but I don't remember anything like it…" Gaara said.

Sakura looked at him for a second. She lowered her gaze.

"I… haven't had a dream, but I've had a feeling like this isn't the first time we've been together…" Sakura said softly, then looked back up at Gaara, "It's liked I've known you forever…"

Gaara's heart caught in his chest. He drew a breath, and embraced her. Sakura responded by putting her arms up around his back and laying her head on his shoulder.

"Sakura… I don't know what happened before we met… But… I think that we should cherish now as much as we can…" Gaara said softly into her ear.

Sakura pulled back, looking into his eyes.

"Yes, but…" she looked down, "What about your future… it has no room for us to be together…"

Gaara nodded.

"I know," he said, "But for today… can it be you and I?" he said.

He put a hand underneath Sakura's chin, lifting her head and meeting her eyes. Fear, longing, and compassion swirled through them like a torrent. She nodded.

"Yes… for today, and forever in my heart…" she said.

Gaara smiled and leaned his head down to hers, meeting her lips softly in a small testament of passion. Sakura tensed out of instinct, but then relaxed and deepened the kiss. All of the pain, the fear, and the sadness seemed to melt away at that time. When they parted, Gaara looked held Sakura close and uttered three words:

"I love you…"


End file.
